Libyan Presidential Council vows to support legitimate forces fighting “mercenaries” in the south

The Presidential Council of the UN-backed Government of National Accord

The Presidential Council in Libya on Tuesday said some unspecified measures had been taken to support army units to respond to repeated attacks by “groups of mercenaries”.

In a statement Tuesday, the presidential council hailed “the success of military units in repelling attacks on its headquarters in the city of Sabha [south]”.

The military zone in Sabha came under attack on Sunday by “foreign armed groups”, according to the head of the municipal council of the city, Hamid Rafi Al-Khayali.

The armed men also raised the flags of Chad, Al-Khayali told Anadolu Agency.

“Any attack on camps and army headquarters is an attack on national sovereignty and threatens the security of the whole country,” the presidential council said.

“The [presidential] council and all Libyans will never give up their duty to defend the south, and will thwart all attempts aimed at creating a new demographic reality in our south,” the statement added.